Electronic devices comprising active organic materials are attracting increasing attention for use in devices such as organic light emitting diodes, organic photoresponsive devices (in particular organic photovoltaic devices and organic photosensors), organic transistors and memory array devices. Devices comprising organic materials offer benefits such as low weight, low power consumption and flexibility. Moreover, use of soluble organic materials allows use of solution processing in device manufacture, for example inkjet printing or spin-coating.
An organic light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC) may have a substrate carrying an anode, a cathode and an organic light-emitting layer between the anode and cathode comprising a light-emitting material, a salt providing mobile ions and an electrolyte, for example a polymer electrolyte (“polyelectrolyte”). LECs are disclosed in, for example, WO 96/00983.
During operation of the device, holes are injected into the device through the anode and electrons are injected through the cathode. Holes in the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and electrons in the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the light-emitting material combine in the light-emitting layer to form an exciton that releases its energy as light. The cations and anions of the salt may respectively p- and n-dope the light-emitting material, which may provide for a low drive voltage.
Suitable light-emitting materials include small molecule, polymeric and dendrimeric materials. Suitable light-emitting polymers for use in the light-emitting layer include poly(arylene vinylenes) such as poly(p-phenylene vinylenes) and polyarylenes such as polyfluorenes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,327 discloses a LEC comprising the polymer BDOH-PF:

The ethylene oxide side groups of BDOH-PF are said to improve compatibility with the ion-conducting polymer poly(ethylene oxide) and increase solubility of the polymer in common organic solvents.
WO 2012/095629 describes polymers comprising polyethylene glycol side-groups pendant from the polymer backbone. The side-groups are introduced into the monomer repeat unit prior to polymerisation.